How to Keep Pests Out of Raw Rice

You walk into your kitchen to prepare dinner, dip your scoop into the rice bin, and discover, along with the rice, some creepy crawlies. Yuck!

Fortunately, there are ways to keep pests from invading your rice. Here are some suggestions:

How to Keep Pests Out of Rice: Remove Moisture from the Rice. When you first bring your rice home from the market, spread it out on a clean surface under the sun for several hours. Alternatively, you can put your raw rice in a thin layer in pans and place them in a warm oven overnight. (Use the lowest setting on your oven.) Both methods use heat to dry the rice. This is effective because moisture is one of the main causes of pests in rice. Once the rice has been thoroughly dried, store in clean, sealed glass or plastic containers.

How to Keep Pests Out of Rice: Freeze the Rice. As soon as you bring your rice home, place it into the freezer for at least four days. Freezing prevents any insect eggs that are already in the rice from hatching. (It's not pleasant to think about insect eggs in your rice, but it is a common reality. It's better to have eggs that have been frozen, than live insects.) If you have room in your freezer, you may store rice in the freezer, which will guarantee that no pests get into it, but that generally isn't necessary.

How to Keep Pests Out of Rice: Put Leaves into the Rice. Depending on which part of the world you live in, different types of leaves can be used to keep pests out of your rice. For instance, in India, neem leaves are used. In the western world, bay leaves are commonly used. Be sure to use dry, not fresh leaves.